INTERNATIONAL TUNNEL EXPERT REACHES SILKYARA TUNNEL SITE, ASSURES OF SAFE EVACUATION OF 41 TRAPPED WORKERS ‘
Ninth day has commenced since the 41 labourers stuck in the Silkyara – Daandalgaon tunnel in Uttarkashi are still desperately longing for their safe evacuation with government agencies doing their best to ensure that the trapped workers are safely evacuated at the earliest.
After the best efforts of various rescue agencies like SDRF, NDRF n BRO including the company involved in the tunnel project including the high tech American augur drilling machine that broke down in between and again rectified back on the job, the government agencies are busy drilling a vertical tunnel as well as a horizontal tunnel to reach to the trapped workers and evacuate them in four to five days.
Meanwhile, a new ray of optimism was witnessed today after an American tunnel expert Arnold Dix reached the tunnel site taking the entire responsibility on his shoulders giving assurance to safely evacuate all the 41 trapped workers inside the broken tunnel.
Afterall who is professor Arnold Dix, who said as soon as he reached the tunnel of Uttarkashi, that now it is my responsibility to save the trapped people. Professor Dix is the new International Tunneling and Underground Space Association President who was elected during the association’s 48th General Assembly held in Copenhagen last year. Dix is an engineering professor, scientist, and lawyer. Master of design concept review, commissioning, processes and operations with special expertise on underground, construction safety, operational safety, operations, environment, renovation and security.
According to the Australian Tunneling Society, Dix is the first Australian to be elected to the position in the organization’s 50-year history. They have played an important role in reducing disaster risks and responding to actual disasters. He investigated fire-related disasters such as the 9/11 disaster in New York (underground aspect), the London bombings, the Madrid bombings as well as the Daegu subway fire and the Hong Kong subway fire.
After Professor Arnold Dix reached the tunnel site sending ray of hope among the worrisome relatives of the trapped workers and others the Robotic Machine also reached there. There are reports that this Robotic machine has commenced drilling which will go up to 89 metres down.
After inspecting the area the professor assured that he will safely evacuate all the trapped workers to the exuberance of one and all. The digging started about 320 metres away from the tunnel and would drill up to 89 metres said the reports.
Those who discussed with the international tunnel expert professor Dix were nodal officer of rescue operation and secretary Dr. Neeraj Khairwal, MD of NHAIDCL company looking after the tunnel affairs Mehmood Ahmed, Director Anshu Manish Khanko, District Magistrate Abhishekh Ruhela etc.
It may be recalled that so far several union ministers viz V. K. Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami have visited the tunnel site and the prime minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the Uttarakhand CM enquiring about the professor in the matter and assuring of his fullest cooperation.
